facebook: Thank you Annette Schiller Maureen Kelly and Fuad for the wonderful dinner at Clarity in Vienna/ Viginia. The Champagne was superb as was the 2000 Château Kirwan - Grand Cru Classé 1855 while the 1972 @Lafite Rothschild should have been opened earlier; the nose was unpleasant and in the mouth it was flat. In terms of food, Clarity remains a top notch restaurant in our area.
Arriving
The Wines
Château Kirwan is a 3ème Cru Classé property in Margaux. It is owned by the Schÿler family.
The history of Château Kirwan begins with the English merchant Sir John Collingwood, one of the first négociants in history. For nearly a century he reigned over the noble "de Lasalle" land, acquired in 1751 and adjoining the Ganet property.
See:
Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Natalie Schyler - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Lunch, Tasting and Tour at Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Natalie Schyler - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Sophie Schÿler, Owner of Château Kirwan, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, Margaux, for a Wine Pairing Luncheon at Evo Bistro in McLean, with the Wines of RdV and Clemens Busch, USA/ France/ Germany
Château Kirwan takes its name from the Irishman Mark Kirwan, who became part of the estate's history by marrying one of the daughters of Sir John Collingwood. In 1760 he inherited the estate. He united the "de Lasalle" and Ganet lands. Rather unfortunately, he was guillotined in 1792.
Thomas Jefferson, then Ambassador of the United States in France, visited the Bordeaux vineyards in May 1787. He was not only the future president of the United States, but the greatest emissary of Bordeaux wines. In his travel diary and his book "Jefferson on Wine", he elevated Kirwan wine - then spelled "Quirouen" - to second classified growth, making it much more recognizable on the far shores of the Atlantic.
The heirs of the Kirwan family sold the estate in 1827, in the midst of a severe economic crisis after the upheavals of the Revolution and the First Empire. After a period of instability, the owner of Château Kirwan and mayor of Bordeaux Camille Godard left the estate to the city, which used it for a time as a hotel and reception venue.
In 1925, it became the property of the Schÿler family, whose family trading house had already been distributing the wine for several years. Since 1950, Jean-Henry Schyler invested heavily in the châteaux and brought Châteaux Kirwan back to its former glory. He passed away in November 2016, a few weeks after our visit.
Jean Henri Schyler was in charge of managing the chateau until he passed away, November, 2016 at the age of 85.
Today the châteaux is managed by the next generation Yann, Natalie and Sophie Schyler.
Last year, Château Kirwan completed a renovation of the winemaking facilities. Importantly, the old stainless steel tanks were replaced by concrete tanks.
The property is located in the commune of Cantenac and consists of a beautiful 18th century château and 35 hectares of vineyards. The wine is typically a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. The grapes are hand-harvested and then fermented in temperature-controlled, concrete tanks. The wine is then matured in oak barriques (30-50% new) for 18 months. It is bottled after a light fining and filtration. Its second wine is called Les Charmes de Kirwan. Château Kirwan produces on average 16,000 cases per year.
Following the tour and tasting we sat down for a lovely lunch with Natalie Schÿler.
Main
Dessert
Victor
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